Movable stairway.



F. E. BESSLER.

MOVABLE STAIRWAY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1915.

1,21 9,695 Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1- JJ 47 Witnesses Attorneys,

m: NORRIS Psrzns co., Pl-ro'm-Llma. WASMINGPON. u. z:v

F. E. BESSLER.

MOVABLE STAIRWAY.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, I915.

mm m Wm ww MW m m U A M NN Witnesses F. E. BESSLER. MOVABLE STAIRWAY. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22. I915. 1,219,695. Patented Ma1'.20,1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- aring FRANK E. EssLER, or AKRON, onro.

MovABLE sTem AY.

Specification of Letters IPatent.

Patented Mar. so, 1917.

Application fiieanovember 22, 1915 serial m: 62,834.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKE. BnssL'nR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Akron, in the county'of Suinmitand State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Movable Stairway, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of i this a ppllcation is a stairway of that general type which is adapted to slide upon a hingedly mounted, ceiling supported panel, the device being of peculiar utility in locatiens where a fixed stairway is undesirable.

The invention aims toprovide novel means 'for mounting the stairway slidably upon'the panel and for controlling the movements of the stairway.

The invention aims to improve the handrail structure.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility ofdevices of thatftype to'whic'h'the pres ent invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and "in 'the details of construction hereinafter described claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodimentofthe invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what isclainied, without depar'ting from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings j Figure l is'a vertical sectional view, most parts of the inventionappearing in elevation, and the stairway being lowered with respect to the hingedly mounted panel;

Fig. '2 is a vertical sectional view disclos ing the invention for. the most part in elevation, the panel having been swung upwardly, and the stairway having been re tracted with respect to the panel; g

Fig. 3 is a transverse 'section, the panel having been swung upwardly to a closed P s i n; r

Fig. 4 is a fragmental longitudinal section showing the latch mechanism whereby the panel is upheld;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view where n the nvention is viewed at right angles to ere-shee "the guide grooves 1%.

ing of Fig. 1, the stairway havingbeen lowered and the panel having been swung downwardly, as in Fig. l; V y

Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating in elevation the hinge elements whereby the panel is assembled'movably with the panel supporting frame or ceiling;

Fig. 7 is a crosssectiont'aken through the spring barrel.

The invention contemplates the use of a frame 1 constituting a part of the ceilingof aroom, the numeral 'denoting the opening through the frame. The nun'ieral 2 indicates a vertically "swinging panel. The panel 2 is assembled with the frame 1 by meansof hinge members 3 and i, the hinge members 3 being secured to the frame 1 and the hinge members 4L being secured to the panel 2. The hinge members 4 which are attached to the panel 2 are so constructed that they serveas supports for various parts of the striicture. The hingemembers 4: each include a standard '5 havinga finger 7 and a socket 6. (See Fig. 6).

Attachedto the panel 2- relatively near to its lower end are standards '8 having inwardly projecting'fingers 9.

The invention coniprises a sliding stairway denoted by the nnnieral 10am including stiles 11 and treads 12. In the stiles ll of the 'stai rway'10, longitudinal guide grooves 1% are formed, the grooves 14 receiving the fingers 7 "of the standards 5 and receivingals'o the fingers 9 onthe standards 8. When the stairway 10 is slid upwardly :with respect to the panel 2, upward movement of thestairway is limited by means of a stop 16 adapted to abut against the finger 9. Downward movement of the stairway -10 l'i'mite'dby a stop 15 adapted to abut against the finger 7, the stops 15 and '16 being secured to one of the stiles 11 of the stairway 10 and extending across one of rTou'rnaled as indi cated. at .18 in F 6 in the standards 5 a shaft 17. Journaled for "rotation on the shaft 17 and on the standards 8 are wheels 20 which, as shown in Fig. 8, engage the stiles, 11 of the stairway 10 and support the latter for sliding mov'ement along "the panel 2.

Located between the standards 5 and journaled on the shaft 17 is a main drum 21. Located within the main drum 21 is a coiled spring 22, one end. of which is secured to the drum, the other end of which is secured to the shaft 17. One end of a flexible element 23 is secured to the main drum 21 and the other end of the flexible element is secured as indicated at 21: in Fig. 1 to one of the treads 12 of the stairway 10. Secured lo the ends of the shaft 17 to rotate therewith are auxiliary drums 25. Flexible ele ments 26 are secured to the drums 25 and are trained around the d ruins in an opposite direction to that in which the flexible element is trained arouiul the main drum 2]. The flexible elements 26 pass around sheaves 27 journaled for rotation on brackets 28 attached to the Frame 1. Secured to each flexible element 23 is a stoo 29 adaiited to coact with an abutment 30 formed at the upper end of each. bracket 28. The de pending end of each flexible element 26 is equipped with a traveler 31 eml'iodying a rotatable wheel 32 adapted to slide along a track 33 secured to the panel 2 and extended longitudinally thereof.

Mounted in the panel 2 near to its outer end is a casing 34 in which is slidably mounted a latch 35 adapted to coact with a striking plate 36 on the frame 1. The latch 35 is pivoted to a lever 37 fulcrumed at 38 on the casing 34 and actuated by means of depending flexible element 54. A red 39 slides in the casing 34 and is pivoted to the lever 37. A compression spring 40 surrounds the rod 39, one end of the spring 40 abutting against the lever 37 and the other end of the spring abutting against the casing 34 to hold the latch 35 in such a position that it will engage automatically with the striking plate 36 when the panel 2 is elevated. The rod 39 is united with a rearwardly and upwardly extended connection 41 attached to one end of a lever 42 fulcrumed at 43 on the panel 2 near to the upper end of the panel. The other end of the lever 42 is operatively connected with an upright lever 44 fulcrumed at 45 (Fig. 6) on one of the standards 5. Preferably, the lever 44 is short, so that it may be actuated readily by the foot of an operator.

The invention comprises a support in the form of a post 46 attached to the socket 6 of the hinge member 4. At its upper end, the post 46 is provided with an eye 47 A support 48 is secured to one of the stiles 11 of the stairway 10 and is provided with an eye 49. Mounted to reciprocate in the eyes 47 and 49 is a handrail 50 provided adjacent its ends with steps 51 and 53 and equipped intermediate its ends with a stop 52.

Presupposing that the panel 2 is in the uplifted position of Fig. 2, the operation of the structure is as follows The flexible element 54 is drawn upon, tilting the lever 37, the latter withdrawing the latch 35 from the striking plate 36. The foregoing presupposes that the panel 2 is to be swung downwardly from point below the panel. If, however, the operator desires to manipulate the latch 35 from a point above the panel, then the actuating train for the latch 35 en'ibodies the foot lever 44, the lever 4-2, the '-onneetion 4-1, the rod 39 and the lever 37.

When the panel 2 is swung downwardly on the hinge 34-, the traveler 31 slides to the left (referring to Fig. 1) on the track 33. This operation disposes the traveler 31 in the position of Fig. 1 and increases the power arm of the panel 2, the latter constituting a lever whereby the flexible elements 26 is made to travel the sheaves'27, the stops 29 i'lltimately coming into contact with the abutments 30 and defining the angle between the panel 2 and the horizontal. \V hen the flexible elements 26 are actuated in the manner hereinbeliore described, the auxiliary drums 25 are rotated and with them the shaft 17, this operation serving to put the spring 22 under some tension. The stairway 10 is then slid downwardly with respect to the panel 2, the stiles 11 of the stairway riding on the wheels 20 and the fingers 7 and 9 riding in the grooves 14 of the stairway stiles, the downward sliding movement of the stairway being limited by the coaction between the finger 7 and the stop 15, as shown in Fig. 1. When the stairway 10 is slid downwardly on the panel, the flexible element 23 is drawn upon, the same rotating the main drum 21 on the shaft 17 and putting the spring 22 under further tension. It will now be obvious that the spring 22 is in such a condition that when the stairway 10 is slid upwardly on the panel 2, the spring will materially assist in the upward sliding movement of the stair way, and also assist in raising the panel when the latter is swung upwardly.

In order to dispose the parts from the positions of Fig. 1 to the positions of Fig. 2, the stairway 10 is slid upwardly on the panel 2 and the panel 2 is swung upwardly until the latch 35 engages with the striking plate 7 36. As the stairway 10 is slid upwardly, the eye 49 on the post 48 first slides along the handrail 50 and then abuts against the stop 52, the handrail 50 then moving upwardly along with the stairway and sliding in the eye 47 of the post 46. Upward sliding movement of the handrail 50 beyond a predetermined point is limited by the engagement between. the stop 51 and the eye 49 when the parts are disposed as in Fig. 1, downward sliding movement of the handrail beyond a predetermined point being limited by the coaction between the stop 53 and the eye 47.

- panel 2 when the latter is in closed position.

In my copending applications, Nos. 62,835 and 94,186, movable stairways similar to the one herein disclosed, are described and claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is I V 1. In a device of the class described, a frame; a vertically swinging panel hinged at one end for vertical swinging movement with respect to the frame; cooperating parts I comprising a shaft supported for rotation adjacent the hinged end of the panel, and a drum journaled on the shaft; a spring connecting the drum with the shaft; a first flexible element wound in one direction around one of said cooperating parts and connected to the panel; a second flexible element Wound in an opposite direction around the other of said cooperating parts and connected to the stairway; frame-carried means receiving the intermediate portion of the first flexible element slidably, and including an abutment; and a stop on the first flexible element and engaging the abutment when the panel is lowered, thereby to limit the downward movement of the panel, to limit the tension imparted to the springs, and to prevent an upward sliding movement of the stairway under the action of the spring;

2. In a device of the class described, a

frame; a panel hingedly mounted with respect to the frame; a stairway slid ably supported on the panel; a track extended longitudinally of the panel; a traveler adapted to traverse the track; a flexible supporting element connected with the traveler; frame supported means for receiving the intermediate portion of the supporting element; a supporting element connected with the stairway; and a resilient means with which both supporting elements are operatively connected, the resilient means being operative to aid in raising the panel and to aid in sliding the stairway upwardly.

3. In a device of the class described, a frame; a panel hingcdly mounted with respect to the frame; a stairway mounted to slide on the panel; a support carried by the panel; a support carried by the stairway; a handrail slidably mounted in the supports; means for limiting the sliding movement of the handrail; and a projection on the hand rail intermediate the supports and engageable by the lower support to slide the handrail in the upper support when the stairway is slid on the panel.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK E. BESSLER. \Vitnesses:

DOROTHY SABIN, EDWIN W, BENESE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

